This straight from TPWD annual. Does this mean antlerless only, or if you haven't killed a buck you can?

It means that you can only kill anterless deer during the General Season on MLD permits only.

County?

Confused ??? Someone on here can probably figure that out. I will keep checking in on this post.

Fannin or North Zone

I read it as you can kill bucks if you haven't tagged out during the general season and you can kill does, unless you hunt MLD property, then you must use a MLD permit.

x2

but what if your county doesnt allow does to be taken during general season? we only have a 4 day doe season at thanksgiving....hunt county.

Antlerless Deer If permits have been issued for the harvest of antlerless deer, they must be attached to all antlerless deer harvested on the tract of land. On USFS, Corps of Engineers, and river authority lands for the seasons listed below, the take of antlerless deer shall be by permit only. On all other tracts of land in this county, antlerless deer may be taken without permits from Thanksgiving Day through the Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving Day, (Nov. 24-27). At all other times (November 5-23 and November 28–January 1), antlerless deer may be taken by antlerless MLD permit or LAMPS permit only. On tracts of land for which LAMPS permits have been issued, no LAMPS permit is required for the harvest of antlerless deer during the archery-only or muzzleloader-only open season.


You can only take does during the 4 day hunt Nov 24-27. If you take a doe during muzzleloader season, it must be on MLD land and have the MLD permit (as sqiggy posted).

It doesnt say that it must be in MLD land. It says that if it is MLD land, you must use an MLD permit. Meaning.... if you are mld, you can't take more does than you have permits.

This says you can kill doe without permits during smoke pole season.

I agree.

And if you ARE NOT hunting on a MLD property, you can take does during the bow and muzzleloader seasons as long as you remain within the entire season limit of antlerless deer for that county. Tag these deer using tags from you license. IMO, allowing hunters to take does during these seasons is the long-standing market driver to get hunters to spend more on equipment.

Also, DO NOT use a tag from your license in addition to your permit when hunting an MLD property. Save your tags for use outside of MLD properties.

I read that as saying that you don't have to use LAMPS permits during ML season, if you were issued them. still cant see how it says I can shoot doe at any time other than thanksgiving.

You MUST use a permit to take a doe AT ANY TIME when hunting a MLD property. To do otherwise would alter the harvest rate being monitored through the permits. If the propert is not being monitored through the MLD Program, the only concern with the TPWD is that you follow the seasonal bag limits and take them when allowed.

I cut it off in the picture, but has same wording in general season on lamps permits not needed during 4 doe days at Thanksgiving. So I think it is the same, I could be wrong.

No. If you are hunting MLD, an antlerless permit IS required ANY time you harvest a doe. The goal of the permitting is to create a control over the number of doe taken off the property. A single person could use ALL the permits since they do not require a tag in addition to the permit.

At the end of the season, the TPWD is going to check to see how many doe were taken and measure it against the number of permits issued.

The statement regarding permits not needed is pointed only at those hunters who are not hunting a MLD property, and ties to the specific times when they CAN take does.

Yea I understand that on MLD but lamp permit is different, they give those based off land size and deer density of your region. They are not monitored in the same way as MLD. That is why they do not require use of a lamp permit during doe days even if you have them issued for your land.

No, the statement regarding permits not needed is pointed only at those hunters who are not hunting a MLD property, and ties to the specific times when they CAN take does.

In other words, it means you don't need a permit to kill a doe on those specific dates if you are not hunting MLD. If hunting MLD, always use a permit and never use a tag.

Got it?

dan we aren't concerned with MLD properties, we understand the rules for them.

Then yes, you can shoot a doe during the ML season so long as you have not exceeded the antlerless limit for that county, and tag it from your license.

Good luck!

I originally was talking about picking up my ML to hunt a late season buck, if I don't kill one before the season ends, but the doe thing would be a bonus. I emailed the question to TPWD, I will see if they respond and post it.

Keep in mind too that if you have not taken a wide racked buck and the county has a two buck limit, your two bucks can be spikes if spikes are permitted in that county. You just can't shoot two wide racked bucks.

I actually called them last week about the late youth season, to make sure my son could shoot a buck, and they said yes. I would assume the late ML season is the same. I just forgot to ask about shooting does when I was on the phone.

Boy they could really make these rules a little more straight forward. Have this and other debates like it many times over the last year...

I called and talked to our game warden this past week on this, Muzzle loader season is an extended hunting season for a particular county. If it is not MLD property you can take does during this time without a special permit for those two weeks but it has to be harvested by muzzle loader. You can also harvest bucks during these two weeks but they also have to be harvested by muzzle loader. Regular buck limits still apply.